World Jr. Champs: Stuhec takes DH gold
Slovene Ilka Stuhec has claimed the gold medal in the women's downhill at the World Junior Alpine Championships in Formigal, Spain Tuesday.
Stuhec, the defending junior slalom champion is also a 2005 Topolino GS champion and is currently ranked fourth on the Europa Cup GS standings.
Stuhec was well ahead of silver medallist Lara Gut of Switzerland, while SG winner Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany claimed the bronze. Anna Fenninger, an Austrian, was fourth and Romainian Edith Mikos fifth.
Canadian Larisa Yurkiw was the top North American in eighth place but Alice McKennis of the U.S. was close behind ninth. Kelly McBroom of Canada closed out the top 10 with Americans Marine Gauthier and Kirsten Cooper in 11th and 12th respectively. Laurenne Ross finished 18th, Julia Ford 32nd and Katie Hartman 36th. Canada also has Stephanie Irwin in 28th, Tess Davies 38th, Georgia Simmerling 40th and had Brittany Phelan fail to finish.
SLOVENE ILKA STUHEC claimed the gold medal in the women's downhill at the World Junior Alpine Championships in Formigal, Spain, on Tuesday.
Rescheduled from Wednesday to Tuesday due to unfavorable weather forecast, the downhill gold was the third Junior World Championship gold medal for 17-year-old Stuhec, a Maribor native, after she won the slalom and the combined in the 2007 Junior Worlds in Altenmarkt/Zauchensee last season. Stuhec, the defending junior slalom champion, is also a 2005 Topolino GS champion and is currently ranked fourth on the Europa Cup GS standings.
“I was the fastest in the training on Sunday so I am not very surprised about my win today," Stuhec said. "I just tried to do my best and it was enough for the win. The conditions were good – the organizers really did their best to prepare the course. Downhill is actually my favorite event although I won the slalom and combined last year. I like all the events and want to be an all-rounder. I look forward to racing in the downhill in the World Cup Finals in Bormio now."
Stuhec was well ahead of silver medalist Lara Gut of Switzerland, while SG winner Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany claimed the bronze. Anna Fenninger, an Austrian, was fourth and Romainian Edith Mikos fifth.
“I am not really satisfied with the silver medal. I won silver last year so I wanted to win gold this time," Gut said. "Ilka must have had unbelievable skis and that was good for her in these strange snow conditions. It is every athlete’s dream to become World Champion and mine to, no matter if I have had success at the World Cup level already."
Canadian Larisa Yurkiw was the top North American in eighth place but Alice McKennis of the U.S. was close behind in ninth. Kelly McBroom of Canada closed out the top 10 with Americans Marine Gauthier and Kirsten Cooper in 11th and 12th, respectively. Laurenne Ross finished 18th, Julia Ford 32nd and Katie Hartman 36th. Canada also has Stephanie Irwin in 28th, Tess Davies 38th, Georgia Simmerling 40th and had Brittany Phelan fail to finish.
U.S. Team leader Walt Evans reported that "conditions were partly sunny and warm on a surface that had been salted pretty heavily in order to create an icy racing surface. The servicemen spent most of the night and morning figuring out how to prepare skis for best gliding. The course drops almost 700 vertical meters and had variable terrain and variable exposure to wind and sun. Waxing and ski preparation has been a challenge.
"Congratulations to the ski service staff for a great job today: Demetrios Hassos, Kristian Saile and Pepi Culver. These guys also work the start marking sure athletes have current course information.
"The performance of the women was solid (four in the top 20). Most of the girls moved up relative to their start positions. Really solid performances by Alice, Coop and Kiley. Small mistakes by Katie and Laureene cost them sdearly as they did not carry speed onto the flats. Julia gained great experience and demonstrated he has tremendous potential in speed events."
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 3 | 565360 | STUHEC Ilka | 1990 | SLO | 1:50.13 | 9.66 |
2 | 7 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 1:50.73 | 17.01 |
3 | 21 | 205218 | REBENSBURG Viktoria | 1989 | GER | 1:51.17 | 22.41 |
4 | 6 | 55947 | FENNINGER Anna | 1989 | AUT | 1:51.38 | 24.98 |
5 | 2 | 465059 | MIKLOS Edith | 1988 | ROU | 1:51.73 | 29.27 |
6 | 18 | 206323 | STIEPEL Isabelle | 1990 | GER | 1:52.08 | 33.56 |
7 | 14 | 196812 | PELLISSIER Marion | 1988 | FRA | 1:52.13 | 34.18 |
8 | 5 | 106849 | YURKIW Larisa | 1988 | CAN | 1:52.31 | 36.38 |
9 | 16 | 538685 | MCKENNIS Alice | 1989 | USA | 1:52.56 | 39.45 |
10 | 11 | 105334 | MCBROOM Kelly | 1989 | CAN | 1:52.70 | 41.16 |
11 | 25 | 197006 | GAUTHIER Marine | 1990 | FRA | 1:52.72 | 41.41 |
12 | 17 | 538471 | COOPER Kirsten | 1988 | USA | 1:53.35 | 49.13 |
13 | 34 | 535585 | STAPLES Kiley | 1989 | USA | 1:53.50 | 50.97 |
14 | 30 | 155563 | KRIZOVA Klara | 1989 | CZE | 1:53.61 | 52.32 |
15 | 24 | 516109 | VOGEL Nadja | 1990 | SUI | 1:53.78 | 54.40 |
16 | 13 | 55898 | BREM Eva-Maria | 1988 | AUT | 1:53.82 | 54.89 |
17 | 38 | 55914 | NOESIG Michaela | 1988 | AUT | 1:53.85 | 55.26 |
18 | 12 | 538573 | ROSS Laurenne | 1988 | USA | 1:53.92 | 56.12 |
19 | 59 | 485505 | RAYANOVA Lyaysan | 1989 | RUS | 1:54.00 | 57.10 |
20 | 29 | 196873 | GARDET Charlene | 1989 | FRA | 1:54.01 | 57.22 |
21 | 19 | 425803 | GROSVOLD Thea | 1990 | NOR | 1:54.13 | 58.69 |
22 | 15 | 196968 | BAILET Margot | 1990 | FRA | 1:54.24 | 60.04 |
23 | 37 | 206290 | HUEBNER Monica | 1990 | GER | 1:54.37 | 61.63 |
24 | 43 | 355052 | SCHAEDLER Vanessa | 1990 | LIE | 1:54.38 | 61.76 |
25 | 45 | 297246 | PRAMSTALLER Sara | 1988 | ITA | 1:54.84 | 67.40 |
26 | 57 | 155503 | KLICNAROVA Pavla | 1988 | CZE | 1:55.00 | 69.36 |
27 | 48 | 245051 | BERECZ Anna | 1988 | HUN | 1:55.19 | 71.69 |
28 | 40 | 106942 | IRWIN Stephanie | 1990 | CAN | 1:55.33 | 73.40 |
29 | 39 | 425880 | SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth | 1991 | NOR | 1:55.35 | 73.65 |
30 | 54 | 485563 | PROSTEVA Helena | 1990 | RUS | 1:55.41 | 74.38 |
31 | 62 | 495678 | RODRIGUEZ Laura | 1988 | SPA | 1:55.50 | 75.49 |
32 | 44 | 538855 | FORD Julia | 1990 | USA | 1:55.51 | 75.61 |
33 | 55 | 185275 | PARTANEN Sara | 1989 | FIN | 1:56.02 | 81.86 |
34 | 49 | 485570 | SOROKINA Anna | 1990 | RUS | 1:56.20 | 84.07 |
35 | 51 | 495683 | TOMAS Mireia | 1988 | SPA | 1:57.27 | 97.18 |
36 | 41 | 538514 | HARTMAN Katie | 1988 | USA | 1:57.79 | 103.56 |
37 | 52 | 115127 | MARINOVIC Florencia | 1991 | CHI | 1:57.82 | 103.93 |
38 | 58 | 107027 | DAVIES Tess | 1991 | CAN | 1:57.86 | 104.42 |
39 | 72 | 506099 | BLOM Nathalie | 1991 | SWE | 1:58.08 | 107.11 |
40 | 22 | 105920 | SIMMERLING Georgia | 1989 | CAN | 1:58.41 | 111.16 |
41 | 53 | 485564 | OSIPENKO Lyubov | 1990 | RUS | 1:58.90 | 117.16 |
42 | 68 | 155586 | KMOCHOVA Tereza | 1990 | CZE | 1:59.58 | 125.50 |
43 | 36 | 297601 | BRIGNONE Federica | 1990 | ITA | 1:59.92 | 129.67 |
44 | 70 | 115133 | ALEGRIA Catalina | 1991 | CHI | 2:00.24 | 133.59 |
45 | 67 | 465058 | CRACIUN Iulia | 1988 | ROU | 2:00.72 | 139.47 |
46 | 65 | 495646 | PALAU Marta | 1988 | SPA | 2:00.76 | 139.97 |
47 | 56 | 415141 | RALSTON Alice | 1989 | NZE | 2:01.20 | 145.36 |
48 | 66 | 495651 | CARRERAS Claudia | 1988 | SPA | 2:03.21 | 170.00 |
49 | 60 | 415134 | EVES Nicola | 1988 | NZE | 2:03.82 | 177.48 |
50 | 71 | 695063 | MATSOTSKA Bogdana | 1989 | UKR | 2:05.20 | 194.39 |
Did not start 1st run : BUEHLER Rebecca (LIE), LEINONEN Sanni (FIN)
Did not finish 1st run : CREMA Katya (AUS), BREIGUTU Anna (BRA), BOUREYEVA Vladislava (RUS), ROTHMUND Jasmin (SUI), PHELAN Brittany (CAN), AGUILANIU Aude (FRA), AGERER Lisa Magdalena (ITA), BRODNIK Vanja (SLO), KLING Kajsa (SWE), MARSAGLIA Francesca (ITA), HOFER Anna (ITA), PERNKOPF Evelyn (AUT), WALZ Lisa- Marie (GER), CIPRIANI Enrica (ITA), FUHRER Kathrin (SUI), FEIERABEND Denise (SUI), MOSER Stefanie (AUT), MARMOTTAN Anemone (FRA), SCHMIDHOFER Nicole (AUT), FERK Marusa (SLO)